Cable grip



UNITED STATES? PATNT ortica.-

JoHN FRANK wnsi, or srAUNfroN, VIRGINIA.

CABLE-GRIP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lietters Patent o. 377,70, dated February 7, 188.8.. Application filed June 15, 1887. Serial No. 241,408.- (No model.)

The object of my-invention is to provide a I o simple device for operating the movable jaws,

, claims.

both to grip the operating-cabler and to lift them, together with the grip head, a sufficient distance above the line of the operating-cable to pass cross-cables or sheave-rollers of other lines located above said operating-cable; and the improvement consists in they peculiar construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out in the In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation with the iioor of the car in section, showing the preferred form of my in- The floor or framing of the car A supports,

a hanger bar, B, bolted thereto, which passes through the opening in the cable-tube. The lower end of the hanger-bar B is'enlarged at I) to hold the gripping-jaws in their lower position to grasp the cable-D, and brace-rods B A B2 pass through the opening in the cabledevice.

tube and connect the front and rear edge of the hanger-bar B with the framing of the car. The bar B terminates a sufficient distance above the cable D to clear any cross-cables D', which may be in the way of the gripping The gripping-jaws C C are hinged at C2 to a sleeve, C3, which snugly fits and slides upon the hanger-bar B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The upper ends of the jaws G C fit in recesses upon the sides yof the sleeve O3, and springs C4 pass between the side of the sleeve C3 and the opposing side of the jaws G C', to hold said jaws, when not otherwise :acted upon, a suflicient distance apart to clear the operatingcable when theyare raised upon the hangerbar B. The lower ends4 of the jaws C C are curved to it the'cable and are spread laterally to secure increased bearing-surface.

` The jaws C` C arebowed outwardly at their lower ends, and a sliding head, E, fitted upon the hanger-bar B, and'having a yoke, E', at its lower end ton embrace the jaws C C andforce them togetherat the lower end of thefmovement of the said yokeE. The head E hasI a sleeve, E2, at its upper end, and ,a sleeve, E3, connected with the sleeve E2 by side plates, E5, to t snugly 'upon the hanger-bar B. The yoke E', at the lower Aend of the head E,with its cross-bars E* uponthe'forward and rearsides of the bar B, is connected by side plates, B15-,with

the sleeveA E3. The cross-bars E" fit upon the bar B, beneath the sleeve O3 of the grippingjaws, and when the heady E has been raised a suiiicient distance for the yoke E to release the grippingjaws fromthe cable the said cross-bars E4 will press vvbeneath the sleeve C3 and raise the jaws CC above the cable until their lower ends-are opposite the lower end of the hanger-bar B, a sufficient distance above the cable D to clear a cross-cable, D', which may be in the way'or path of movement of the gripping device. v

It will thus appear that the gripping-jaws C C and the sliding head E are both raised together (after the cable has been released .by the jaws) above the cable a sufficient distance tobe out of the way, a single lifting or oper'- ating device serving to effect the triple purpose 0f gripping', releasing, and lifting the gripping mechanism above the cable to be out of the way.

The jaws C C IOO engage with inclined grooves G5 in the edges ofthe jaws C O, and serve to open and close said jaws by'positive mechanism, when the yoke is raised and lowered upon the jaws, in

' 90 are preferably provided with-`l a tongue, C6, running longitudinally upon the device.

lieu of the springs shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The sliding head E is raised and lowered by a pitman, F, connected by a wrist-pin, f, at one end to the sleeve Ez of the said head, and at the other end by a wrist-pin, g, with a anged band-wheel, G, keyed to a shaft, G', supported in bearings upon the frame of the car. A metal chain belt, H, formed of open links to receive pins g' and fit closely upon the periphery of the wheel G, passes over said wheel and over a correspondingly-flanged band-wheel, I, having pins o3 and keyed to a shaft,l,supported in bearings upon the frameof the car. Gear-pinions I2 upon the shaft I', upon opposite sides of the band-wheel I, gear with toothed segmentracks K K, supported upon a shaft, K', and having a hand-lever, K2, cast integral therewith, by which means the power from the lever KI may be applied evenly upon both ends of the shaft I. A notched segment rack, L, secured to the frame of the car, and a. spring locking-bolt, Z, of well-known construction, are supported upon the lever K2 to lock the lever at the end of its movement in either direction.

The mechanism above described for raising and lowering the sliding head E may be varied without departing from my invention. One modification of the mechanism for this purpose is shown in Fig. 5, wherein the sliding head E has a toothed rack, FX, upon one of its edges, into which a toothed wheel, GX, is geared to raise and lower the sliding head. The wheel G is secured to the shaft G', which is rotated by any well-known or preferred mechanical The bar B and the pitman F may be lengthened or shortened to suit roads and cars of varying dimensions.

In operation, when it is desired to grip the operating-cable, the head E is lowered upon the bar B until the sleeve C3 of the jaws G C is arrested by and supported upon the projections b upon the lower end of said bar B, andI the gripping ends of the jaws C C are held upon opposite sides of the cable D. rIhe head E is now lowered a further distance upon the bar B, and the yoke E of the head'E will press upon the bulged portions of the jaws C C at the gripping ends thereof to firmly clamp themiupon the cable. When thus clamped, the latchl of the lever K2 will engage with the notch at one end of the segment-rack and hold the jaws in their workin g position. When it is desired to release the cable, the lever K is unlocked and the head E is raised by pushing forward the lever tothe notch at the opposite end of the segment -rack, to engage therewith and hold the head E positively in its raised position. The yoke E of the head E, at the beginning of its upward movement, releases the jaws C C', and by a continuation of the upward movement of said head the crosshars E press beneath the sleeve O and raise it, together with the jaws C C', until the lower ends of said jaws are opposite the lower end of the bar B, and are, together with the head E, placed and held completely out of the way. It will thus be seen that when the head E is raised to its highest position the gripping device will pass over any obstruction beneath the level of the head b upon the lower end of the bar B.

It is only necessary to move the lever K a short distance to open the jaws and release the cable without elevating said jaws, which is therefore done almost instantaneously, fand the car may thus be stopped and started without loss of time and without friction or slippage of the jaws upon the cable. The jaws C C extend but slightly below the horizontal diameter of the cable, and will thus pass over the sheaves or rollers which support the cable without interfering with them and without detaching and raising the grip to pass the said rollers.

The lever K2, provided with segment-racks K K, will act equally upon both ends of the shaft I', and permit the band-wheel I upon said shaft to come directly beneath the handlever and between the segment-racks, thus enabling the power to be applied directly and effectively.

The jaws C C may be extended a sufficient distance in the line of the cable to give ample surface contact or bearing upon the cable, and the innerfaces of said jaws may be vfilled with anti-friction metal which may be renewed from time to time as it wears away.

The mechanism being operated by one movement of the lever and securely locked in either position, provides a: safe, instantaneous, and eilective device, by means of which the car may be quickly stopped or started.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combination,in acablegrip,thehang er-bar supported upon the car and terminating a suicient distance above the level, of cables or cross-cables located beneath the surface to clear them, hinged jaws adapted to slide upon the hanger-bar, and a sliding head supported to slide independently upon said bar, the slid ing head serving to thus raise, lower, open, and close the hinged jaws, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. Ina cable-grip, the combination, with the hanger-bar, of hinged jaws and a sliding head, allsupported to move independently upon said bar to project below the same when gripping the cable, and to be raised together out of the way of crosscables by the upward movement of the sliding head, substantially as described.

3. In a cable-grip, the combination, with the hanger-bar, of the sliding head and hinged jaws, all adapted to slide upon said bar independently of the head, to be raised by the head and fall of their own gravity, and a yoke upon the lower end of the sliding head to force the jaws together, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a cable-grip, of the hanger-bar B, with the sliding head E, the

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jaws C C', sliding upon the said bar independently of the head E, a yoke, E', upon the sliding head to embrace the jaws beneath the sleeve to which the jaws are attached, and means for raising lboth the jaws and headtegether by a single instrumentality or movement, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the bar B, of the sliding head E, having a yoke, E', at its lower end to embrace gripping-jaws C C', hinged to a sleeve, C3, springs C4, for opening the gripping-jaws, and means for raising and lowering the sliding head andjaws, substantially as de scribed. v

6. In a cable-grip, the combination offif'lgthe 15 3 5;

hanger-bar B, sliding jaws C C', sliding head E, for raising, lowering, and closing said/jaws, the pitman F, band-wheels G I, the gear-pinion upon the shaft of the Wheel I, band H, and

a segment-rack andhand-lever, L, substanzo' GEORGE HABLAN, J, T. H. CROSBY. 

